A Victorian mansion on St. Charles Avenue whose white-columned porch, rocking chairs, and view of the passing streetcar constitute one of the most iconic images of New Orleans — and one of the few that improves upon closer inspection. Louis Malle filmed 'Pretty Baby' here in 1978 and the building has barely changed since. The hotel operates with the unhurried confidence of a place that knows its porch is the finest outdoor drinking room in the city. The rooms are Victorian in the genuine sense: high ceilings, original woodwork, the particular creaks and character of a 19th-century building that has been lived in rather than restored. The Columns is independently owned and has been since its construction in 1883.
Location
Uptown, New Orleans
Insider Intel
Drinks on the porch — any classic cocktail or a cold beer, served while sitting in a rocking chair watching the St. Charles streetcar pass below the oak canopy. The Victorian Lounge inside has a more ambitious cocktail programme. The restaurant is worth a meal, particularly brunch. The drink matters less than the setting; almost anything tastes correct on this porch.
Late afternoon approaching sunset, when the light filters through the live oaks and the porch fills with people who have decided that the evening will start here. Weekday afternoons are emptier and arguably more atmospheric. Weekend brunch draws crowds. The St. Charles streetcar stops right outside, making the approach part of the experience.
The porch is the attraction — visit it even if you are not staying at the hotel. The rooms have the character and the limitations of a genuine Victorian building: charming, creaky, and not for anyone who requires modern hotel infrastructure. The streetcar stop is at the door. The hotel's independence and its century-plus history give it a personality that no amount of boutique-hotel design can manufacture. Pretty Baby (1978) was filmed here. Rates are reasonable for what you get: $150-350 depending on season.